RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes started free agency by locking up their big trade acquisition for the long haul and bringing back a familiar face. They might not be done there.

Carolina agreed to a 10-year contract extension with center Jordan Staal on Sunday, brought defenseman Joe Corvo back for a third stint with the team and acknowledged it made offers to the two biggest prizes in the free-agent pool — forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter.

Then, speaking Sunday evening, general manager Jim Rutherford said he expects Parise to sign elsewhere and said he would turn his attention toward trading for a forward. He said he didn’t expect any updates from Suter’s camp until Monday.

“All I can say is that we’re in the trade market and we’re active,” Rutherford said.

But the biggest news of the day was the long-term signing of Staal. He will make $6 million per year under the deal, which begins with the 2013-14 season. He is due to make $4.5 million this season.

Staal turned down a 10-year offer from Pittsburgh two weeks ago, and that decision precipitated the trade to Carolina in exchange for center Brandon Sutter, defensive prospect Brian Dumoulin and the No. 8 pick in the draft.

“The perception has totally changed about the Hurricanes since we’ve acquired Jordan Staal,” Rutherford said. “This is really a game-changer for us, the fact that you get a young, elite player that can do so many different things in the game.”

Rutherford says Staal — the younger brother of team captain Eric Staal — “represents a cornerstone of our franchise for the long term.”

The 23-year-old Staal had career highs with 25 assists and 50 points last season with the Penguins. He was coveted by the Hurricanes, who wanted to add a top-shelf forward to play alongside the older Staal.